Uprising of the Fallen
by The Best of Luck
Summary: James is 'recruited' by the Enclave just before he tries to enter Vault 101. His son becomes dedicated to the ideas of America and the restoration of order. But when James disappears one night in Raven Rock, his son is ordered to track him down and bring him back. But outside forces are a powerful influence and Adrian is torn between loyalty to his county or his family's ideals.
1. Chapter 1

**July 28th, 2258, Capital Wasteland**

James Lopez. The mind behind Project Purity. _The waters of life._ A dream that had been born out of Vault 21 when he first gazed upon Lake Mead with Catherine, before they journeyed west with the Followers to seek out new life and new adventures.

Now that dream was dead along with his wife. But in the process of that lost, he gained his son, his little Adrian. A mop of black hair covered the precious two week old, tucked safely in his arms. The last reminder of his wife, his project, his dream.

 _The dream you abandoned. The dream that lead to your wife's demise. Do you think she would want you to leave it all just because she died?_ An inner voice raged at him, demanding answers.

 _She would have wanted me to keep our son safe. Safe from the hazards of the wasteland. A life that isn't filled with desolation, despair, and death._ Another voice, a calming presence, soothed the other. The inner angry dissipated and he found himself unclenching his fists.

The wasteland was quiet, the wind blowing slightly to the east.

"Doctor Lopez, we're almost to Megaton," the smooth voice of Star Paladin Cross broke through his inner thoughts. The four others, the Knights and Paladins who had volunteered to escort him to his destination were arranged around him, two in the back and two in the front, while Cross was next to him.

Vault 101.

He had stopped there, when they had first arrived in the Capital Wasteland. Months of traveling, dodging raider gangs and losing members almost daily. The Overseer had been reluctant, but had struck a deal with the young and naive doctor from the Mojave. If whatever James was looking for did not work out, then James could come into the Vault. After all, James was a Vault Dweller himself.

He never told him that Catherine had been a Follower of the Apocalypse from California.

"Thank you Star Paladin," he said with the utmost gratefulness. We would have never made it this far without you."

"No, you wouldn't," she acknowledged through her montone speakers in her T-45d power armor helmet. "The offer still stands. The Brotherhood needs doctors and scientists."

James let out a long sigh. "Lydia...you know I can't. I'm sorry, but my greatest priority is my son. And I will not let him grow up surrounded by death and struggle. Away from the wastes and the monsters."

He knew that it was a tempting offer. The Brotherhood was the most technologically advanced faction in the Capital Wasteland. The Citadel, their imposing fortress, where technological wonders were being worked on by the scribes. Protected. Safe.

But what about Adrian? There was no guarantee that he would be protected and safe once he grew up. That one day he would venture out into the ruins of downtown D.C to fight against Super Mutants. To be exposed to the cruel realities of this world.

"I...I can't," he repeated again as if repeating it would strengthen his case. "Adrian needs to be safe. Even the Citadel cannot guarantee my son's safety one hundred percent."

Cross nodded, though James could feel the frustration radiating from her. He was one of the few learned minds left anywhere in the United States and knowledge, just like water, power, and ammunition, was power. But the memories of Catherine were too strongly associated with the Brotherhood. And the thought of joining the Brotherhood after abandoning Project Purity would be like a slap to the face to her memory.

And Madison.

He shuddered, remembering how Madison had ranted and raved at him when he had first told her. How he was leaving them to doom since he was the best they had. Leaving _her._ He understood that Madison had feelings for him, the glances she gave, but she never acted on it. He was a married man during the time they worked on the Project and a grieving widow with a son when Catherine died.

"We'll be staying in Megaton for a couple of days, if you change your mind," Cross relayed though deep down must have known James would have never joined them.

They continued, the bleak atmosphere of the surrounding land doing nothing to elevate their moods. The Brotherhood escort dispatched a roving raider death squad with ease in front of a Super-Duper Mart before they reached a hill that overlooked Megaton. The giant metal structure jutting out of the wasteland was a welcome sign.

Then, it paused. James could hear a slight whirring sound, like blades chopping through the air. The Knights and Paladins quickly spotted the source of the sound. A small gray dot in the horizon, bathing in the moon's light.

"Damnit," Cross gritted her teeth before turning to a Knight. "Jenkins, get the good doctor into cover behind that rock. Williams, Jones, covering fire if necessary. Dawes, you're with me."

A Knight with a R91 assault rifle gently grabbed James and started to guide him to a rock covering that provided a view of the other Brotherhood soldiers. The Knight clicked the safety off of his rifle.

"Stay down and don't move," he ordered sternly before looking over the rock. The dot was more visible and much larger. Whatever it was, it had spooked the Brotherhood.

"What's going on?" James asked, trying to soothe his son who was beginning to stir from all the rapid motion.

"I don't know, but I think that's an Enclave Vertibird. It's been almost two decades since anyone at seen them. Though we got rid of them all at Navarro."

 _The Enclave?_ James had heard stories about them, how they had wanted to wipe out the inhabitants of the old United States just because they were 'mutated.' He drew his son even closer, almost clutching him to his chest, and tried to soothe the infant back to sleep. The whirring sound was getting louder and louder, drowning out anything. He could barely hear what the Knight had to say.

Then the sounds of battle began. Laser fire, -the slow methodic fire from a laser rifle and soon rapid overlapping flashes of red energy- began to volley at each other. James tilted his head up to see that the strange flying machine had a gatling laser attached to the nose, firing hot flashes of red energy where Cross and the rest of her team was. He watched with horror as one of the flashes hit a Knight in the arm, burning through his armor and making him yelp in pain.

The flying machine did another turn above them before hovering just a few dozen feet away from them. Out of the back of the machine emerged six black armored shapes, horns jutting out of their helmets and devilish yellow eyes glaring menacing at them. Their weapons were a mixture of the laser rifles and a green energy based weapon James could not help but admire. The green energy was _spinning_ and no doubt deadly.

One of the Knights, the one who had been hit in the arm, fired a burst from his R91 automatic rifle. The 5.56 rounds were deadly to unarmored raiders and could even do damage to a Super Mutant if put in the right place. It impacted on the chest of one of the black armored men, who was armed with a laser rifle, and did absolutely nothing.

The others started to fire back. Cross leaned out from a rock and let loose with her laser rifle. One of the red beams slashed into the shoulder of one of the Enclave soldiers, making him stumble. But he recovered quickly and fired back with his energy weapon, ripping apart rock and gravel with what seemed like slow moving plasma. The rocks gurgled as they melted and soon Cross was forced to retreat to another.

All around them the Brotherhood did battle with the Enclave. But they were outmatched and outnumbered. A Knight, the same one who had been hit, leaned out from cover once more and was hit in the helmet by several plasma blasts that distorted his power armor and melted his armor, killing him almost instantly.

 _This is madness,_ James thought wildly as the Vertibird made another pass, unleashing volley after volley from the gatling laser towards the Star Paladin. Cross was no fool though; she stayed in cover and allowed for the rocks to absorb the onslaught. A Paladin, armed with a missile launcher, aimed and achieved lock on the hovering air vehicle.

"Clear backblast!" he shouted over his radio and he fired, the missile tracking and then streaking towards the Vertibird. The Enclave pilot expertly flew his vehicle, switching from hovering to straight up flying, flew faster, heading north away from the battle. Soon, what seemed like several dozen flares was emitted from the rear of the Vertibird and the missile was fooled into following them. A second later, it exploded, showering Springvale with shrapnel.

As the Paladin was reloading the missile launcher, a sonic _boom_ echoed through the night and the Paladin's head disappeared in a flash of blood and gore. His missile launcher dropped to the ground, though thankfully the missile he was loading didn't detonate and take Cross with him.

"Goddamn it!" Jenkins, the Knight who was huddling near him, cursed. He shot wildly, 5.56 rounds impacting on the dirt near the Enclave soldiers. It was a foolish thing to do, but James could see that it had a purpose. He was a distraction; Cross had laid her laser rifle on the ground and wielded the super sledge A.R.M and she started to charge the group of Enclave soldiers.

The other Paladin started to fire, hoping to suppress the Enclave with his minigun. 5mm rounds chewed the ground up while some bounced off the jet black armor, barely denting it. They took cover, sending potshots towards him, green plasma flying over his position. The Paladin continued to fire, the minigun spitting out more rounds.

The rotating barrels glowed hot as they stopped spinning and the Paladin had to shove another box of ammunition into the gun. As he did so, Cross had crossed the distance between the Brotherhood and the Enclave. The first Enclave soldier she met had his helmet caved in by her super sledge, his armor doing little to protect him from the enhanced strength behind Cross's blow. However, this caught the attention of the other Enclave soldiers and she was soon hit by a barrage of lasers and plasma fire, which penetrated her armor and made her gasp in pain. James only watched in horror as a plasma blast disintegrated her arm and she fell to the ground, her super sledge falling with a _thud._

 _This can be happening. All I wanted was a life for my son. A life away from this danger._ Adrian started to wail, his cries adding to the cacophony of fire and death in the Capital Wasteland. Cross breathed and then stopped. James looked and then tucked Adrian even closer. _Another friend. Another person, dead because of me._

"I'm done to my last box of 5mm Jenkins," the other Brotherhood Paladin conveyed to the Knight protecting James. They seemed to be making a decision. They were outnumbered two to one, the Enclave had a flying machine that was coming back, and their leader was dead. There was no escape from this. No hope left in their voices, no convoluted way of escaping anywhere int he distance.

James looked into the eyes of his son. As the sounds of battle died down, so did his son's wails. He was sobbing a little, but was otherwise unharmed. He watched his son breath in and out, two weeks old. His black hair, his light brown eyes that reminded him of Catherine. _Very strapping,_ his wife had said before she went into cardiac arrest.

There was nothing left to do but wait.

The Knight and the Paladin glanced at each other. Their only options were to surrender and their charge into the hands of the Enclave and present them with a fate that was uncertain. Or to go down fighting, burning into their legacy as the first casualties of the _new_ war that would be raged against the genocidal maniacs that was the Enclave.

The two leveled their weapons and fired. A torrent of 5mm bullets was unleashed, tearing into the Enclave's cover. 5.56mm soon joined the symphony and soon, the night was alive with the sounds of battle once more. Tracers lept and stabbed at the Enclave but it was not enough.

A moment later their weapons ran dry. And the Enclave responded.

Brilliant flashes of green and red were sent in reply. Disciplined fire tore into the Knight and Paladin, armor burnt and twisted. Power armor, the greatest asset in the Brotherhood's arsenal, proved not to be enough to counter these Enclave soldiers. They fell to the ground as Cross did, dead.

James resisted the urge to vomit. He had seen death. Raider gangs, super mutants, desperate people killing each other for a scrap of food or a bottle of dirty water...but there was something rather destructive and elegant about energy weapons that gave it even more of an impact.

He could only hope that his death would be quick.

He was soon approached by the black armored devils who had killed Cross and her team. Their weapons were lowered but not sheathed and were lead by a man in tan fatigues and a fitted cap on his head. But they weren't firing at him. Was he not a threat? A dirty wastelander who plagued the Earth with his mutated genes?

"Citizen," he heard a gruff voice say with a slight accent and he looked to see the man in the tan fatigues looking down at him with a sneer on his face and a 10mm pistol pointed towards him. "Are you James Lopez?"

The surrounding Enclave soldiers made him ponder for a moment. If he told the truth, would he be killed? He didn't think so, considering that they had completed obliterated a Brotherhood squad with minimum casualties. He unconsciously held Adrian a little closer, the bundle of clothes that he was in concealing his presence.

"Yes. I am James Lopez," he breathed out, silently praying to a God he no longer believed in.

To his surprise, the officer seemed rather pleased and holstered his pistol.

"Good, good! President Eden will pleased and might even put a smile on Colonel Autumn for once," the officer said brightly. "Williams, Whitley, bring him to the Vertibird. _Unscathed_ if you would be so kind to do so."

James didn't struggle, but he did get up on his own. His hands still on the bundle, the officer noticed it.

"Stop. Mr. Lopez, what is that in your arms?" the officer asked warily and the black armored soldiers trained their weapons at him.

James hesitated. He was alive, but would they allow his son to live as well?

A giggle answered the officer, who leaned over to remove one of the clothing that James had used to cover his son. A smiling infant, barely two weeks old. _Adrian._

"Ah...how rather...unexpected. Williams, radio Command that we are bringing back _two_ additions to the Enclave," he ordered with a rather pleased expression on his face. "Whitley, please escort the good doctor to the Vertibird if you will."

James could not help but look in awe as they herded him onto the Vertibird. It was more spacious than he imagined, with enough room to hold at least ten people. The remaining Enclave soldiers filed in, the corpse of their fallen brother laid on the ground, his head twisted and his helmet caved in from the impact from Cross's super sledge.

The doctor looked with a grim look in his face. Cross was dead -there was no way that anybody would be recovering from that barrage of fire- but she had brought down one of the black armored devils by herself. They were by no means unkillable.

He clenched one of his fists, careful not to crush Adrian in it. Cross, his friend and protector for nearly an entire year, had been killed by the Enclave. Righteous anger surged through him, but he soon squashed it. Cross, _Lydia,_ was dead because of him. Why the Enclave wanted him, he didn't know but she had died for it. For _him._

The Vertibird lifted up in the air, hovering for a brief second. The officer, the man who had spared his life, sat across from him, allowing James to analyze his features. He was thin, bones sticking out from his face, making seem more like a ghost than a man. He was around James's age and was also extremely pale, much paler than any white man ought to be. The officer seemed like he could be knocked out with one punch, even from James admittedly scrawny frame.

But what haunted James was the man's eyes. A sense purpose yes...the same sense of purpose that James used to have. But behind that purpose was a fanatic drive...a drive to accomplish whatever the Enclave wished him to do. A hint of brutality and death hidden behind a veel of humanity.

"I understand that this may all be new to you doctor," the officer said, breaking through the monotonicity of silence. "Questions you might have. Such as why we killed your escorts and took you on our Vertibird."

"Yes," James answered carefully. "All I know is that you're the Enclave and nothing more."

"I am Captain Augustus of the Enclave Armed Forces. We are the last remnant of the pre-war government, the last bastion of humanity outside of the vaults and the scattered settlements that dot the wasteland. The last of the pure humans."

"So why choose me? I am no pure human," he said, wary of revealing too much. "I've lived in the wasteland my entire life."

"You'll find that we are not too strict on who we recruit when it comes to genetic purity," the Enclave officer informed him. "Almost twenty years ago, the last President made the mistake of believing every human besides pure humanity should be wiped out...but that is a tale for a later time."

James could not believe what he had heard from the officer's mouth. Everything he had heard from the Enclave, genocidal maniacs who wanted to wipe out humanity, _was_ true. But evidently, they had learned from their mistakes or at least weren't too strict on the definition of humanity as they once were. The good captain seemed content to treat him with some humanity and respect.

It was much more than he could have hoped for.

"Where are we heading?" he asked.

"An installation called Raven Rock," the officer responded. "You will be given a room and your son will be put with the other infants. Rest assured good doctor, you will be allowed to spend the ample time needed for a child to bond with their father. Once you and your son have settled in, you will be instructed on your new duties."

Maybe...well maybe this was for the best? He still didn't like that they had killed Lydia and the rest of them, along with robbing them of the opportunity to live in the vault, but the Enclave seemed well-equipped and technologically advanced. Their weapons, after all, were much more advanced than the laser weaponry favored by the Brotherhood.

He would have to wait and see. Wait and see.

* * *

 **AN: Hey ya'll this is your boy The Best of Luck. So I stumbled upon a story called Divergence by Straight Up Elf and loved the first chapter. However, I was disheartened to see that it wasn't updated for nearly three years. So, I decided to take upon myself to redo the first chapter and then write it up myself!**

 **Hopefully you like it. Second chapter will come soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**August 21st, 2259, Raven Rock, Capital Wasteland**

James sighed as he entered the daycare room. Just over a year ago he had been commissioned into the Enclave Armed Forces as a lieutenant. It was purely symbolical, considering he had been 'recruited', but at least he had been treated with human decency and some modicum of respect. They had given him an aide, a young man named Thoma Whitley, who was barely out of his teens.

Still, young Thomas had a knack for robots and was highly idealistic about helping the wasteland. And to be fair to himself, working for the Enclave has been...well to be quite frank, it was a godsend. The technological marvels the Enclave had outstripped what the Brotherhood could have offered him. Hell, they might have outshone the _Vaults._ But he was still missing something. He didn't know what it was, but it was frustrating.

" _Dada,"_ he heard a young gurgling voice cry out and he smiled, rolling the sleeves to his lab coat. His son, young little Adrian, was busy playing with two other young children. Three-year-old Matthew Scott, a giant of a child who towered over everyone in the room who wasn't older than five, was busy snacking on some sugar bombs while Eric Williams, a one-year-old who was rather shy, was building blocks just near the playpen entrance.

"Ah, Dr. Lopez!" a young woman with bright blonde hair and a twinkle in her green eyes greeted him warmly. "Picking up Adrian I presume?"

"I'm actually picking up all three," he admitted rather sheepishly. Though he had made barely any friends (and more than a few people who hated his guts) among the Enclave due to his wastelander traits, he had still friends in the loosest definition of the words. Dr. Raymond Scott was a close colleague of his while Sergeant Williams, one of the men who had wiped out Lydia's team just a year ago, was his constant bodyguard and eye. Sometimes they even talked about technology.

"All three?" she asked, her mouth gaping open. She quickly closed it. "Must be a hassle! Please, let me help you!"

The good doctor, as he was known by Captain Augustus and his father, the scientific-minded Colonel (though he preferred Doctor) Autumn, was rather taken aback by the offer of kindness. He had not received much of it from the rest of the Enclave. _Yes,_ they tolerated him but they didn't show him much respect or friendship outside of the Scotts, Thomas, and on occasion, Sergeant Williams. There were whispers of his... _recruitment_ from the rest. They all believed he was a vault dweller, in exile from a disagreement.

Everyone who had been involved in his recruitment had been sworn to secrecy about his origins. President Eden himself, their mysterious leader, didn't know the origins of James, which surprised him greatly. The Autumns were keeping a great secret away from the President himself...and he hoped to God that it would remain that way. Captain Augustus always reassured him of that. And he had to trust the officer.

 _For now._

"Thank you," he said genuinely as the woman unlocked the playpen, allowing his bumbling son to waddle towards him on unsteady feet. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name, Miss?"

"I'm Melinda. Melinda Grant, resident daycare provider and daughter of Doctor Roberta Grant, who is in robotics," she summarized. "Nice to meet you...formally, I guess!"

Melinda opened the door to the playpen and Adrian waddled to him, all cute in his one-year-old glory. Another thing about the Enclave was that they had a functioning food supply. Adams Air Force Base, while being home to a giant crawler that housed the majority of their Vertibirds (which James was _not_ a fan of) had a massive farm, well-nourished. The food was non-radioactive and the food they got from pre-war stocks went through Enclave purifiers.

Adrian was not as big as most of the one-year-old children, but then again, he didn't exactly have genetics on his side. Matthew Scott had a massive bear of a father and that passed onto him and Eric Williams, despite being skinnier than Adrian, still towered over him due to his father's height. In spite of all this, Adrian was healthy and that was all that mattered to James.

"Dada!" Adrian said again, this time clapping his hands. "Linda!"

Life with the Enclave might not have been the life he had envisioned for his son, but at least he was alive and healthy.

* * *

" _I expect results, not excuses."_

 _"It's hard when you have limited resources, limited time, an aide who is more involved and better with robotics than water purification, and a President who doesn't know my past."_

 _"You know the Enclave's position on wastelanders."_

 _"Special cases only, I know. But I need to run more tests and need a better aide. I can't reteach everything I know about water purification to someone who is simply not interested in it. You're my connector. At least let me work with Dr. Scott on this. He's not an expert, but I need all the help I can get."_

 _"Dr. Lopez-"_

 _"Major...Augustus...I am pleading with you. I know that the Enclave's resources are limited. But you cannot dedicate ninety-nine percent of the Research and Development budget to the military and then expect me to work miracles! You won't let me even have access to the water purification tests run by Enclave scientists on the West Coast!"_

 _"That's because those notes don't exist anymore Dr. Lopez. The NCR took them all when they ransacked Navarro. My father and I barely made out of there alive before they attacked."_

 _"I'm...sorry, I didn't know that. But the fact remains that ninety percent of my duties have been medical in nature and the remaining ten percent is divided between helping with fixing the Advanced Power Armor Mark II's water filtration system and then working on Project Purity!"_

 _"I understand Doctor! But you have to understand this. I do not control the military budget. Neither does my father. President Eden does. And he doesn't like listening to our suggestions."_

 _"Maybe if I could just plead my case to him-"_

 _"No, you cannot. Only my father and I have access to him. And that is not of our choosing. I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot. Make do with what you have. And I expect results the next time we speak of this matter, do you understand?"_

 _"I understand perfectly Major Autumn. Please understand that I may not have them. At least let me have a new assistant who doesn't talk to robots."_

 _"Done. Now the matters about my wife's health..."_

* * *

 **September 21st, 2268, Raven Rock, Capital Wasteland**

"I plead allegiance, to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Adrian almost rolled his eyes as he sat down on his desk. He didn't understand why they had to swear allegiance to a _flag_ of all things, but his father told him to just say the pledge. Adrian loved his father, despite his obsession with something called 'Project Purity.' He heard him say in his sleep when he had snuck out of their shared room in order to hang out with Eric and Matthew.

The ten-year-old fifth grader, along with his twenty classmates, were going to be learning about their country's history today from Mrs. Armstrong, a short older woman with graying black hair and a pair of glasses sitting comfortably on her nose.

"How many of you know the glory of our nation's founding? When was it founded? _Why_ it was founded?" she asked rather sternly before scanning the room. She put her sights on another student, a boy by the name of J.J and called his name.

"Mr. Black? What do you think?" and the kid scratched his head. He wasn't smart and was about as dumb as a bag of rocks, but he was strong, almost as strong as Matthew who was two grades above them.

"I dunno, something about liberty I guess? Liberty from those...French? Or was it the Spanish?" and Adrian wanted to snicker, but remembered that he was six inches smaller and a good twenty pounds lighter than J.J.

"No, Mr. Black. I take it you did not read the chapter in _A Patriot's History of the United States?"_ and the silence from J.J was all that he needed to hear in order to laugh on the inside. "Such a shame Mr. Black. Oh well. Mr. Lopez, what about you?"

Ah, of course, she had to go to him. As much as he tried to hide it from his peers and his teacher, Adrian was _brilliant._ And this wasn't his ten-year-old ego talking either. He was genuinely smart, smart enough to be with the older kids. Hell, he helped Matthew with his math homework all the time and he was two grades above him. But being the son of a vault dweller meant that you were looked down. Sure, you _were_ human and above the wasteland dreg, but you were still not a _"Pure" Human. What a bunch of racist supremacist rubbish._

"Taxation without representation was one of the reasons," Adrian said carefully, trying to balance between giving a satisfactory answer and not being targeted later. "The colonies weren't allowed to expand westward either."

"Good answer, though I know you can do better," Mrs. Armstrong replied which made Adrian wince inwards as he saw J.J flash him a death stare. "Mr. Williams, what can you tell me about this nation's founding and founding ideals?"

If there was one thing that Eric Williams excelled at, it was history. Adrian was smart like his father in subjects such as mathematics and science. His father's old assistant, Dr. Thomas Whitely, even let him help out with robotics on occasion. But Eric knew American history like Adrian's father knew the ins and outs of an Advanced Power Armor Mark II water filtration system.

"It stems from issues regarding the Proclamation of 1763, which meant that the colonists could not expand westward past the Proclamation line. In addition, the British Empire was in debt following the French and Indian War and wanted the colonies to pay for it. To do this, they passed several taxes that made the colonists angry, picking up on what Adrian said. Things such as the Stamp Act, putting taxes and excises on items such as paper and tea," Eric said without thinking or looking up. "There were a lot of different reasons, but land and taxes make up the gist of it. And if you believed the writings of a firebrand Senator from the 21st century who didn't like mass surveillance, writs of assistance which gave the government powers to search any property they wanted with just a general warrant."

Adrian snuck a look at J.J, who was now frowning _severely_ at Eric. _Better find Matthew after school. It sucks that he gets out twenty minutes after us._ Raven Rock was not a big facility, but Adrian and Eric had plenty of hiding places. Hiding from the patrols who wandered the halls and even hiding places from the various tripwires and other countermeasures that President Eden said was for the safety of the facility.

"Very good Mr. Williams, though there is no mention of these writs of assistance in _A Patriot's History of the United States._ Is that in the upper classes?" Mrs. Armstrong asked and Eric nodded. Adrian knew that Eric was lying. What was he playing and what in god's name was mass surveillance?" Anyway, let's continue with the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Bunker Hill."

As the hours drifted by, the bell finally rang and Adrian rushed out of there, followed close behind by Eric. Not two seconds went by when J.J flew out of the room, on the hunt for Adrian and Eric. But they were tucked _underneath_ the floor -having gone down a set of hidden steps and disarming the tripwire- and they had to keep their mouths shut from giggling as J.J spent nearly fifteen minutes pacing the floor and looking for them. Only when the middle school bell rang that J.J took flight and headed back to his room.

"Well, I knew I'd find you, fellows, here," someone said and they turned around to see Matthew grinning at them. The lad was tall; standing almost six feet at only twelve and was bigger than J.J. He was the muscle of their trio and the only reason why Eric and Adrian had not been turned to dust.

"Fancy meeting you here Matthew," Adrian said nonchalantly. "We weren't hiding or anything. It's quite comfortable here."

"Uh huh," Matthew grinned. "You sure you weren't hiding from Eva?"

"Eva?" Eric gulped. Adrian grinned as well. Eric had a _massive_ crush on the girl in the grade above them. "No. Though I'm not opposed to seeing her."

"Well come on then! Let's go! Adventure and treasure await! I also got a new copy of the _Captain Cosmos_ comic and he's taking on the communists on _Mars!"_ Matthew said excitedly, pulling out a comic book from his backpack.

"After we finish the math homework and history paper we've been assigned," Adrian reminded them. Matthew groaned. Even Eric, who loved history, smacked his head against a steel bulkhead.

"Fine."

* * *

 _Father, I don't get why we can't see the President. He never comes down from his post. And he hasn't run for reelection. What kind of democracy is this?"_

 _"Technically the United States isn't a democracy, it's a constitutional republic. Congress represents us in the House of Representatives and the Senate."  
_

 _"I know government types dad. What I'm asking is why we don't have a Congress. Or have presidential elections. What happened to representation by the people, for the people, of the people?"_

 _"You've been reading too much Abraham Lincoln and not enough about radiation. Otherwise, you'll get another B on your science midterm."_

 _"Don't remind me. Eric got a copy of something called A People's History of the United States from Eva."_

 _"A People's History? Do not go telling that around anybody, do you understand me? Otherwise, you and Eric will be in huge trouble and not even I can get you of it."_

 _"Of course Father."_

 _..._

 _"Why don't we ever talk about Mom? Or the Vault?"_

 _"It's a very difficult subject. Your mother...she loved you and wanted a better future for you. And like it or not, Raven Rock is the best future we have. The vault...did not have the best interests in mind for us or the world."_

 _"Is that why we were exiled? Because of Project Purity?"_

 _"In part, yes."_

 _"When will you tell me about Project Purity?"_

 _"In time son. In time."_

* * *

 _ **"** Doctor, my patience is wearing thin."_

 _"The Advanced Power Armor Mark II has a problem with its power supply. Tesla armor doesn't have it, but I do notice that it's because the design is much more advanced."_

 _"If we cannot equip our soldiers with the most advanced power armor out there, then our mission is **that**_ _ **much closer** to failure. The Brotherhood of Steel has more numbers and support of the wasteland."_

 _"My assistant is working on Project Purity with my notes. She's the only reason we're making any progress anymore, ever since you transferred me to medical full-time. Colonel, your wife is dying. Let's face it, she will die soon. Whether it is in one year or one week, the ultimate outcome is death."_

 _"I understand fully. You will continue to try. Try anything. She is my wife and I will not allow her to die if I have the means to prevent it!"_

 _"Colonel, then let me head to Vault 101. Or any of them. Vault 92. Vault 106. Some of them are bound to have medical technology from the old world that can help me treat your wife."_

 _"...Fine. Vault 106, Vault 92, but not Vault 87, 101, or 112."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Classified. But you will learn soon enough."_

* * *

 **August 1st, 2274, Adams Air Force Base**

Adrian loved flying.

While his father hated it as it made him 'sick' to be in motion above the ground, the freedom it gave Adrian made him sing for the clouds. In truth, he would have tried to become a pilot if his career goal wasn't to be more involved with medicine like his father. As the Veritbird landed softly on the ground, he almost didn't want to leave.

"God I hate flying," Eric said, holding his head and groaning. "Men were meant to be on the ground not in the air. I curse the Wright Brothers every single day for this crap!"

"Oh shut it you big baby," Eva, who was sitting across from them, ordered. They were almost seventeen, the age when most people decided their careers, and they wanted to be officers. "Flying is freedom. Flying is fun!"

Eric blushed, which made Adrian grin. The two had become closer, with Adrian cheering them on from the sidelines. Both were smart, dedicated, and competitive making them the perfect duo to push each other to do better. Eva had kind of replaced Matthew, who had long since graduated and joined the Armed Forces, serving as a rifleman in the 1st Infantry. Still, whenever he wasn't deployed outside of Raven Rock or Adams Air Force Base, the hulking giant of a man would come to visit.

"Shut up," J.J Black interjected, the cranky teen just having woken up from a power nap. "Don't need you to yap in my ear all fucking day."

"Language," Adrian instinctively said, earning a frown from J.J and a jab from Eva. "Don't give me that look J.J."

Six years ago, J.J would have pummeled Adrian to the ground. But they were the same size now, both standing at five feet and ten inches -though J.J was a bit taller- and roughly two hundred pounds. Gone were the days when J.J could simply throw Adrian around. _Growth spurt and additional hand to hand combat training with Matthew really came in handy._

"Whatever," J.J responded with all the teenage angst he could muster. "Just make sure they leave me alone."

"Alright, settle down laddies," an Irish-accented man commanded them with a bit of familiarity. "You know what's ahead. This is the ASVAB. What will determine your future in the Armed Forces of the United States."

The man speaking to them was Lieutenant Pat Quinlan, dressed in an Enclave officer's uniform, though his cap was off. Adams Air Force Base was the largest military base in the Enclave's hands, home to the majority of the Vertibird fleet, and the mobile base crawler. It was also home to the guy who wrote _Captain Cosmos_ in his free time, an avionic mechanic who was getting near retirement.

"Yes sir!" the recruits said in unison.

"Good. Now let's get going, shall we?"

They entered the mobile base crawler, ready for their future.

Nearly three hours later, the four of them stumbled out of the testing area, alive but bruised. They were happy, even J.J, and they were going to celebrate!

"What'd you get Eric?" Eva asked, leaning a little on him.

"Field Artillery Firefinder Radar Operator," Eric rattled off. "First step into becoming an artillery officer! What about you?"

"Technical Engineer," Eva answered. "What I've always wanted to do! Though I want to know how I become an officer. OCS application time?"

"Gotta talk to Colonel Autumn about that and 'entrance into the college' that nobody enters," J.J said. "I'm lucky. I got infantryman. 11B!"

"That's good," Eva said carefully. "You haven't told us yet Adrian. What'd you get?"

 _Combat Medic Specialist. Dad isn't going to be happy about that._ "I got 68W. Combat medic specialist. Dad wanted something else, but I'm happy."

It was time to look forward to the future.

* * *

 _Audio Log 26,_

 _Working with the Enclave has been great. It has. I have had access to technology far more advanced than I ever thought possible. Their power armor, for example, is made up of a lighter alloy than T-45d or T-51b, but offers much better protection from small arms and energy weapons. They have access to purified water through the reserves underneath Raven Rock and a farm that feeds the population._

 _But they're fascists. No freedom of the press, no freedom of speech, and nobody understands the Constitution besides my son and I. My son...a smart boy, almost a man, but naive. He believes in the Enclave, I'm fearing. He told me that he was joining the Armed Forces and took the ASVAB without my permission! At least he's going into medicine. But I need to get out of this place. I need to go back and finish my work. My work for the past twenty years has been delayed and delayed because of Colonel Autumn's wife, few resources, and little to no support from the command structure._

 _However, my work has shown me a path. I need to get to Madison. And back to the Jefferson Memorial. But how? And who is Braun?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Final Audio Log in Raven Rock: "The Enclave here have technological marvels that nobody else has. Freshwater, hydroponic farms that can feed thousands, their vertibirds, power armor, and plasma weaponry...but they lack a clear purpose. I have been trying for almost twenty years to make them see Project Purity as the way to go, but Colonel Autumn shutters me from one failed project to the next, carrying for his now dead wife._

 _I've decided to leave Raven Rock and pursue it. Through the Enclave's databases, I've found something that I know,_ ** _know,_** _will help jumpstart Project Purity. Dr. Braun, a brilliant scientist who was last heard in Vault 112, created something known as the GECK. But for some reason, reasons that just dumbfound me, there is no list of **where** a GECK is. Which is why I must leave._

 _But I've been cut off from the rest of the Capital Wasteland for almost two decades. I will head to Megaton first, to see if Colin Moriarity is still alive and gather information. No doubt he will charge a deep price, but the man's information has always been good._

 _I doubt Elder Lyons is still alive. He was in his fifties the last time I saw him and not even the Brotherhood can sustain old men. But no doubt Madison is alive and well. Hopefully...hopefully, she can forgive me for what happened. For me leaving._

 _I must leave my son here. He must know nothing about this. And he...he will have a better life here as well. He has made friends among the Enclave -Eric, Matthew, Eva, even his childhood bully, J.J- and is fitting well within this organization, as much as it displeases me._

 _He's grown up. My little boy, all grown up. It seemed last yesterday that he was waddling around for the first time and now he's addressing me as 'Sir' when he's on duty._

 _The boy is smart and takes after Catherine more than me. I wish that she could be here, looking after him and seeing him now. "_

 _I miss you so much, Catherine. I miss you every single day."_

* * *

"Get up."

Those simple words were Adrian's world right now. _Get up here, get up there,_ he thought darkly. But there was something different about this simple order. The words were much harsher, striking at his discipline. He got up, much faster than he usually would have. Scrambling even. He was on his feet when he saw the eyes that had ordered him.

 _Well by God's grace, that's fucking Colonel Autumn._

Augustus Autumn had two Tesla armored bodyguards next to him, their plasma rifles glimmering in the darkness of his room. Electricity crackled, designed to disperse energy weapons such as lasers and plasma much more effectively than the mass-issued power armor. _Oh, God, please help me in my time of need._

"Do you have any personal weapons on you, Corporal?" the Colonel asked sternly and Adrian's eyes drifted to his locker. There, his laser pistol he and his father had spent _years_ tinkering with, was in a secure safe. _Catherine,_ he thought, after his dead mother.

"My locker."

Autumn nodded to one of the men, who approached the locker. He glanced over at Autumn who responded with another nod. The man reared back and _punched_ through the thin metal and lock, smashing it into two or three pieces. _That's...very effective. I could have just given you my passcode, you dick._

He didn't want to think of the commanding officer of the Enclave as a 'dick' but currently, that man's actions were making him do so.

The guard rifled through the locker, pulling out standard-issued clothing before latching onto Adrian's personal safe and tossing it out. As the guard was about to rip the safe's door off with his enhanced strength, Colonel Autumn raised a single gloved hand.

"Now, now Sergeant, let us see if the Corporal is _loyal_ to the government. To his people. What is the code?" Colonel Autumn asked. _The code?_ His training kicked in.

Without hesitation. "704."

The guard entered the code and the lock clicked from red to green, unlocking the safe. The guard rifled through the safe and pulled out Adrian's AER7 laser pistol. Enclave personnel had a choice when it came to personal sidearms. Laser pistols were the exception; many soldiers and officers loved the slow-moving plasma glob the plasma pistol fired, the superheated bolts able to melt through most wastelander creatures tough exteriors. But there was just something about the AER7 that Adrian loved.

The guard handed Autumn the pistol, who examined it. _Catherine_ had been modified, through trial and error, to fire a tight spread of five laser beams. It fired slower and also had a much smaller energy cell usage than the standard laser pistol, but the damage it wrought onto its enemies more than made up for it.

"Tell me, Corporal, do you know why I've woken you up in the middle of the night and demanded your weapons?" Colonel Autumn demanded and Adrian could not think of a single reason. _Loyalty inspection?_ But those weren't common and the leader of the Enclave Armed Forces didn't do it himself. _My father._

Adrian knew that his father and Colonel Autumn had always clashed about ideas, science, military matters and everything in between. Adrian had never wanted to intervene or even _think_ about the disagreements. He had his own problems to deal with but it seemed that his father's problems had become his own.

"My father."

Autumn briefly smiled dangerously. "Yes. But do you know _why_ it's about your father?"

 _My father never tells me anything._ His father was secretive and Adrian didn't know why. The only time his father fully opened up to him was discussing his mother; the legendary Catherine. _Who apparently no one else has ever heard of._

"No."

Autumn seemed stunned but recovered quickly. "Are you sure, Corporal? I have no time for liars and plotters in the Enclave. In Raven Rock. I will toss you out of a vertibird before tolerating more dissent."

Adrian was taken aback. He had never interacted with Colonel Autumn very much but this seemed just outright _hostile._ "I'm sure, _sir._ I have no idea what my father did, why you're waking me up in the middle of the night and why there's a plasma rifle pointed at my head."

The Colonel looked like he was about to rear back and smack Adrian upside the head but he didn't. Instead, he let out a long sigh before gesturing for Adrian to stand up. The confused soldier did so and the weary old man beckoned for him to follow him. Warily, Adrian did so, his eyes never leaving the men with the guns on his back. _I will not be intimidated,_ he wanted to say, but he was.

He had seen some shit out in the Capital Wasteland. Clearing raider camps from getting too close to Raven Rock, seeing a friend of his almost cut in half by a Super Mutant Overlord's tri-beam laser rifle and depleting their already thin numbers, and capturing Deathclaws for some nefarious purpose. But nothing intimidated him more than a Tesla-armored bodyguard pointing a plasma rifle, the glowing green spinning ball of death telling him one wrong step, one wrong move, and he would become a pile of goo.

They walked through the dormitories of Raven Rock, up through the various laboratories, where the science staff in their white suits and orange plastic masks looked at him in his underwear, escorted by their commanding officer. He gave them a sheepish grin -how could he not- and caught the eye of a scientist he had _known_ personally. He gave her a wink and she looked away.

It felt rather humiliating, even if he was trying to face it with charm and grace. He was loyal to the Enclave, to the United States, to this idea that Colonel Autumn had drilled into their heads when they first became soldiers. _A new America._ But it was kind of hard to be a part of that when you were being treated like some criminal.

Finally, they reached Colonel Autumn's personal quarters, where a shining blue forcefield was waiting for him. _Really? A fucking forcefield in your own fucking bedroom? What kind of Captain Cosmos bullshit is this?_ He did have to get his hands on the newest issue, which Eric promised was the best. If he was alive after this, of course.

The guard shoved him into an unoccupied space and then left him. Colonel Autumn was the only one remaining in the room beside Adrian, his hand on a cigarette. His voice was weary, tired.

"Tell me, Adrian. What do you know of Project Purity?"

* * *

James Lopez, known as Captain Lopez, the Doc, the Whiz, kept his hand on the 10mm pistol as he and _Andy,_ a robot Thomas Whitley had rigged up for him, continued forward. They had snuck by Paradise Falls, heading south to a place known as Big Town, which Enclave eyebots had identified as a safe haven and a possible place for resupply and even sympathy.

The sun was setting and he would need to seek shelter soon. The Pip-Boy 2000 he had stolen from the Enclave's stores, along with his backpack and enough food supplies to last him two to three weeks, told him that Big Town was a mile south. _Twenty more minutes and I will be there._ He had heard stories about Big Town and how it was the deathtrap for the Little Lamplighters. _Rumors,_ he knew, but just eyebots had confirmed _there_ was a settlement in the rocky caves near that giant radiation shithole.

"I say, sir, you're looking very tired!" Andy commented and James could not agree more. It had been more than two days since he had managed to sneak away from Raven Rock.

"I am. Don't worry about me," he addressed the Mr. Handy robot that he had grown attached to. "As soon as we reach Big Town, I'll be better."

The good doctor and his robotic friend saw a two-story building from the ground, one of the few structures standing on the outskirts of DC. He knew the area was a hot spot for Super Mutants -he may not have been in the Wasteland for almost twenty years but nobody, _nobody_ forgot the Frankenstein horrors and he had worked on captured ones before- and he wanted to skirt around it. No need for a fight.

Sandbags were seen and James spotted one of the fearsome sights of the Capital Wasteland, a sight he had never wanted his son to see. It was a hulking green figure, standing at least eight feet tall, veins running along his or her body (where Super Mutants male or female, his brain asked before he told it to _shut up)_ with almost nothing covering besides a few scraps of clothes and metal covering vital parts of its body.

They had been the ones who had driven off his scientific crew from the Jefferson Memorial after his departure. The eyebots, which he would have to avoid or destroy, had confirmed it when he asked about it.

He wondered about his son and how he was dealing with his departure. No doubt the boy was being interrogated by Colonel Autumn, but James had never told Adrian about Project Purity or his plan to escape. Autumn was many things, but punishing a boy for his father's actions? No, he wasn't. He would be released to duty and back to killing raiders and wasteland creatures.

"Doctor Lopez, I must address you to the giant mutant approaching us. It appears to be unarmed," Andy warned him and he unclicked the safety of his N99. He hadn't fired a gun in anger in over twenty years.

"Prepare your flamethrower," he ordered and the Mr. Handy obeyed, combat programming overcoming anything else. But before anything could happen, the Super Mutant stopped. Its face twisted into some sort of a smile. The thing raised its hands and in a loud guttural voice, yelled,"Please do not shoot!"

 _What the hell?_ Every time he had met the muties out in the Wasteland, it was because they were trying to bash his face in. But this one wasn't. His scientific curiosity overtook his caution, but he was still wary. He didn't holster his gun but he didn't aim it either.

"That...that is surprising. Usually...usually people cry or shoot. Or both," the green hulking man said. "THANK YOU. It has been a while since I have had... _conversation_ with an intelligent... _being."_

 _"_ Who are you?" James simply asked, waving Andy aside so the robot would not attack him. The robot obeyed, though the saw on one of its legs began to buzz unhelpfully.

"My name...my name is Father Leo. I don't know if it was the name they gave me before I became...this, but it was my name. I used to be a leader...of a flock."

 _Before he became that? What does he mean?_ He had participated in some of the tests done on captured Super Mutants before. They were sterile, as the Brotherhood had confirmed back home. _Because of the_ _FEV._ He had not been privy to it, but he knew that some of the science staff worked on FEV matters, matters he had not been allowed to look into. _Making a better America, right Colonel?_

 _"_ They made me into this! With green goo they dipped me into and made me anew. Into...into a thing that everybody is afraid of! I used to be a man of peace, preaching my word to the good people...and then they turned me into this... _monster!_ Trying to send me out into the Wasteland...to make more like me! But there are no monsters like me."

"Make more like you? What do you mean?"

"In a metal place...in...massive vats. They dip you into it and you...you _change."_

The mutant's voice became painful and James could tell that the being didn't want to speak of it anymore. He didn't press the subject. But now he knew. _They made Super Mutants. From us. From the people of the Capital Wasteland._ Then his mind wandered back home. _The Core Region. Those Super Mutants were also made. Made from...FEV I presume._

"Father Leo...what is that place there?" he pointed towards the building. "I don't have a proper name for it."

"Its name...its name is Germantown. A place where mankind tried to...tried to rebuild, but they failed. Now...my brothers occupy it. Dragging innocents to their doom, to turn them into _us._ All of them are gone. Most...most will not be back till dawn with fresh captives. There is a town, south of here. You will be safe there."

"Can I ask you something else?"

The mutant smiled but shook his head. "No, little brother, you cannot. Safe travels. I hope to see you again someday."

And the mutant lumbered off. James did not understand why but he felt a bit of kinship for Father Leo.

He turned his mind south, towards what really mattered.

Project Purity.

* * *

"Tell me again why we're doing this?"

"Because Moira is paying us good money to do this. She might be eccentric, but I like to eat, don't you?"

"Fuck man, I'm sorry, I just don't want my head to get blown up by Arkansas, like every other crazy motherfucker who tries to enter Minefield."

Laszlo Radford adjusted the wrap around his head, determined to keep the setting sun of his hair. Sam Warrick, his friend and sometime rival, looked through the scope of his rifle. He was surveying the Scrapyard, where rows upon rows of scrap and trash were. It was a favored scavenging ground but it was also ripe with raiders.

"Doesn't matter. Commie sons of bitches won't hit us. We're red-blooded Americans and we're well-armed. And I bet you Minefield has copies of Grognak the Barbarian laying around."

"Shit man, do you always have to go on and on about that fucking comic?" Sam complained, holstering his sniper rifle around his shoulder. "Coast is clear. Scrapyard should be a good place to settle for the night."

"Good," Laszlo muttered, keeping his hand on his railway rifle. He wanted to go back into DC and kill some feral ghouls, but the fucking Frankensteins were everywhere and the Brotherhood didn't like random wastelanders heading into the ruins. _Safety or some other bullshit._ He knew the real reason was that the Brotherhood wanted the technology and other caches of good things for themselves.

 _Fucking assholes._

Laszlo and Sam entered the outskirts of the Scrapyard, careful not to scratch themselves with the metal fences poking from the ground. Their hardened leather armor was good for protecting themselves from .32 rounds or knives, but anything heavier would punch right through. He was still cautious when they heard growling and shrieking. _Ah, fuck me._

 _"_ Should we?" he asked his friend and the sniper simply shrugged. But the man drew his N99 and the two proceeded with caution, not wanting to be caught by surprise.

They rounded the corner to see a woman in raider armor running. Almost instinctively Laszlo fired his rifle, the railway spike nailing the woman's head and sending it careening towards a nearby wall, pinning it. The woman's body fell onto the ground, a spectacle of death. Laszlo grinned bloody, relishing in the kill. _Fuck raiders and the fucking carousel of fuckwads they deal with._

Two other bodies laid on the ground, blood seeping from their necks. Their throats had been torn out by vicious teeth and Laszlo knew right away what had caused their departure from this world.

"A dog. A single fucking dog did this," Laszlo muttered. Sam raised an eyebrow. "See those teeth marks? That's a dog. A big one."

"So what are we waiting for?" Sam grinned. "Let's go hunt us a dog."

* * *

 _AN: Thank you to all those who have reviewed! Especially to Alexeij, who has reviewed all chapters so far, and Aegon Blacksteel as well. Alternative Nonfiction, PartyPat22, Shadex2, thank you for your reviews of Chapter 2._

 _I have tried to make the Enclave more human and more alive, instead of the cartoonishly like villains we get in Fallout 3. Eden will be playing a factor soon, but for now, that will wait. The Brotherhood will also make an apperance, along with the Outcasts._

 _Oh...and Alexeij...about commies on the moon... ;)_


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